With its third arc commencing, Locke & Key is back!  Joe Hill’s stellar tale about a grieving family, their home with mysterious keys, and the evil forces that seek to unlock the key’s power is a top notch read.

This issue is the slowest read thus far.  Dodge, a diabolical creature that has befriended Tyler, leaves his body and has a chat with Sam’s spirit.  We learn that Dodge used Sam to kill Tyler’s dad.  Sam and Dodge fight and talk, filling us in on details that will have a future bearing in this arc.  Hill uses too much dialogue to get his point across.  With so many ways to convey information in a comic book, a straight multi-page conversion failed to hold my attention.  My heart breaks as I write this because this has been one of my favorite books (and certainly still is).  However, this issue was disappointing.

Gabriel Rodriguez’s art is incredible.  His uncanny ability to convey emotion and intention in a wordless panel is a thing of beauty.  While he didn’t have much help from Joe Hill, Rodriguez could draw a rock and it would still look awesome.

The final pages lay the direction for the story and it should be a great chapter in a superb series.  While this issue was slow, the tension between Sam and Dodge sets the stage for the future. I’m looking forward to next issue… and some action.

4 out of 5

Joe Hill’s latest Locke and Key arc comes to a close and sets up the pieces for The Crown of Shadows to be released in the fall.  How can this series not only maintain its outstanding quality, but also get better with each issue?  I’m not sure how’s he’s doing, but I do know that Joe Hill is writing the best comic on the stands today and this is his freshman project.

Through mostly flashbacks, Ellie’s back-story is expounded upon and we learn the true horror she has been subjected to for years.  While Locke and Key would be classified as horror, it’s smarter than just hack and slash or cheap scares.  Joe Hill’s talent to craft a psychological and supernatural thriller rivals his dad’s skills, legendary Stephen King.  The plot and character developments are deeply woven into a complex maze of relationships and dark motives.  Ellie is certainly tragic in the tortures she has endured and its only just beginning. Her mentally challenged son Rufus plays an important role in an expected reveal, a tribute to Hill’s ability to provide twists and turns that even a seasoned reader would not envision.

Gabriel Rodriguez is a future hall of famer in the annals of great comic book artists.  His comprehension of human emotion is equal to his startling ability to articulate them on paper.  From a cool killer to a desperate woman who’s life is spiraling though a nightmare, every face captures the beat of each panel.  His layout is a masterful blend of techniques, from classic nine paneling to creative two page tapestries of imaginative storytelling.  Old keyholes, fingernails, smoke trails- everything he draws is a work of art!

The final pages finish this arc, but the story gearing up for exciting future chapters.  These issues are worth getting the floppies because I can’t wait to read them and good enough to buy in hardcover to relish for years to come.  I challenge anyone, from avid comic book reader to snobs who insist comics are for only for nerdy adolescent boys, to read Locke and Key; the dynamic duo of Hill and Rodriguez can single-handedly save the comic book industry with this masterpiece.

5 out of 5

It just keeps getting better!  Locke and Key is the best book being published right now.  From issue to issue, this story is stellar.  Hill and Rodriguez could give a clinic on how to work, author and artist, to produce a masterpiece.  I know this is some high praise, but it is all earned and true.

In an earlier review, I sang many of this series praises.  I don’t want to repeat myself, but all of those points apply to this issue as well (see review of #4).

So here are some new insights into this superb series.  There are many inspired moments, even the credit placement on the first page!  There is such attention to detail both in writing and art.  Joe Hill shows off his skills in this issue.  Kinsey has used the skull key to trap her fear in a glass bottle.  At first, this vile monster spits out a ramble of insulting fears.  Most are self-defeating and common to us all.  Kinsey has a swagger and bravado now that her fear is gone.  It’s fun to see this damaged girl live without her fears.  Later, Hill uses this to illustrate the risk of not having fear to protect us.  Brilliant!

Gabriel Rodriguez’s art is close to flawless.  His comprehension of the characters is so acute that I would guess he was the author as well.  He is the master of facial expressions and creative paneling choices.  This is a beautiful book!

The story is creeping towards its conclusion.  I am loving every minute of this!

5 out of 5

Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez continue to deliver one of the best comics right now.  The story is getting creepier and building to a conclusion I’m looking forward to see.

Rodriguez’s art is simply beautiful.  There’s full-page panel which showing all the kids reactions to Tyler using the skull key.  Their expressions are perfect, capturing authentic reactions.  Rodriguez’s ability to accurately draw both teenagers and tweens is a real accomplishment.  We experience the bizarre events of the Locke mansion through the kids.  This world comes alive because the kids seem real; this is made possible by Gabriel Rodriguez’s stellar work.

Joe Hill continues to navigate the story with confidence and vision.  He knows his characters and the story’s direction and has the raw talent to convey both well.  Tyler and the siblings share the secrets of the newest key with some friends.  Unfortunately, his new buddy is an evil fiend tied to his father’s past who wants the power the Locke mansion houses.  The siblings’ interactions are written with depth and Hill nails the dialogue.

I just love this comic.  I look forward to it every month and I have never been disappointed.  Keep them coming!

4.5 out of 5

If you are not reading this book, something is wrong.  Go out and get it!  It’s hard to believe that Joe Hill, writer of Locke and Key, is not a veteran comic book writer.  This is his first comic and it’s a winner.  Gabriel Rodriguez kicks it into high gear with the art.  To witness the seamless blend between writer and artist is a thing of beauty.  Even without reading the dialogue, the characters’ facial expressions capture their personality and emotion with clarity and confidence.  Nothing is wasted on this book; it’s rare to read a book without filler.  From wordless panels to tight dialogue, the book is like eating cheesecake, rich and worth taking your time.  It’s refreshing to be able to fully trust author and artist to guide you through a detailed world with interesting characters.  Joe Hill knows his characters, from villain to quirky kid. 

The story draws us into each member of the Locke family as a new key to the house is explored.  I care about each person in this title.  I’m not going to give away any details of this story in this review; just read it.  Beyond setting this bar high, I would say this title is the bar.  The first story arc was great and the second is better.  It leaves you wanting more.  It’s what good comics should be.

5 out of 5